"Let’s start by saying this: The 1999 Rochester Raging Rhinos weren’t a merry band of underdog misfits like in those clichéd sports movies. There were a lot of talented and experienced players on the team, some of whom could have played in MLS and a couple of others who later did. They usually played in front of at least 10,000 fans in their home stadium, nestled in an upstate New York community rich with soccer history. They were a dominant force in what was then called the A-League (now the USL PRO), capturing titles in 1998, 2000 and 2001. And in the franchise’s inaugural season in 1996, they stormed to the US Open Cup final before losing to D.C. United. But let’s also be clear about one more thing: as good as the Rhinos were and as young as Major League Soccer was at that time, Rochester still weren’t expected to beat any MLS teams during their magical 1999 US Open Cup run, let alone four of them in succession."

Offered here is a 10K-gold, size 13-1/2 ring featuring 28 points' worth of diamonds and 10 points' worth of emeralds bordered by "U.S. OPEN CUP CHAMPIONS." The inner band is engraved, "MJZ 9-14-99." NM condition. The accompanyingn 2007 purchase LOA reads, "This ring was sold to me by its original owner, Michael Zmuda, who received it in his capacity with the Rhinos' administrative staff."